Student Research Opportunities

Advancing research with your help

Research options at the School of Health & Human Sciences prepare you to become a contributor to your chosen discipline. From exploring the benefit of beetroot juice on muscle strength to the impact of robotics and virtual reality in therapeutic applications—SHHS faculty and students are dedicated to exploration.

Studies range from small-scale discrete research questions to larger projects that involve investigators working collaboratively at multiple institutions. Undergraduate research programs start at the freshman level and are designed to connect students with faculty. As a graduate or professional student, you’ll have opportunities to assist faculty in developing their research agendas.

Regardless of your area or level of study, building a research portfolio will help you stand out when applying for advanced programs, scholarships, internships, and jobs.

Find what fits your needs

Research positions can involve working for a summer, semester, year, or more. Some programs offer payments, others offer degree credits.

Faculty often hire undergraduate and graduate students as research or graduate assistants. Financial support of stipends and tuition waivers may be available for graduate research assistantships, particularly in the areas of health and exercise sciences.

If you have a research idea, faculty can also help develop your question into an achievable, impactful study.

Connect with our faculty and/or work with an institute

Community-engaged research

Events and tourism

Events & Tourism Institute

Musculoskeletal health

Neurological and behavioral health

Physical activity and wellness

Physical Activity & Wellness Institute

Scholarship of teaching and learning

Sports innovation

Sports Innovation Institute

How does it work?

First, you reach out to faculty members who share your interest areas. Review their profiles and websites, learn about what they study, and see if they are recruiting. If you find a match, contact them to see what they have available.

As a student, you can have a great impact in research, so don't be timid or fearful about participating. You might bring fresh perspectives and novel ideas, can assist with literature reviews, contribute to data collection and analysis, and become key members of interdisciplinary research teams. You also can help disseminate research findings through research papers, posters, and presentations to help increase the visibility and impact of the research.

A fun and important aspect of research is sharing the results. With SHHS, you have opportunities to share your hard work in research through posters, presentations, and publications, just to name a few. Presentations can span from those given to peers in your program all the way up to large national and international conferences. You may even publish your findings to have your name appear in print.

If you want to see an example of a recent student research portfolio, check this out.

Who knows? You may help make the next big discovery related to physical activity and bone health, robotics in restaurants, fan experiences during sporting events, or improve an aspect in clinical health. All of this work helps others live healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Student Research Opportunities

Advancing research with your help

Find what fits your needs

Connect with our faculty and/or work with an institute

How does it work?

School of Health & Human Sciences resources and social media channels